1998 Chrysler Neon Reviews

Replacement of head gasket just last year due to overheating. Milling off the head required.

Paint on roof completely peeled off (this is a very sunny country all year round).

Noise in the front and rear suspension. Not a surprise considering the bad condition of the roads.

A/C unit must be repaired every 2 to 3 years (replacement of evaporator).

Water leaking into the cabin somewhere around the dashboard and trunk.

A very good car considering the price tag. Mine is a manual, base model, yes the one with the AM radio (very strange!). I bought this car brand new and no major bug ever happened to it. All repairs done are due to normal wear, except for the evaporator that constantly failed. I cannot understand how a fairly good car has such a cheap evaporator. I also own a Corolla 1999, and similar problems have occurred to it, except for the A/C that works like a charm.

I am still trying to fix the water leaks, which is presently my major concern.

Power steering system ruptured at 53,000km, causing a total loss of fluid. Made an enormous mess of the engine bay.

Fixed under warranty.

Head gasket blew at 60,000 approx. Out of warranty. Cost AU$1200.

Both front wheel bearings fell apart. Cost a massive $500 to replace.

Fuel pump stopped at just over 62,000km. Replaced it myself, but the part cost me $400!!

Transmission leaked badly. Fixed 4 times in 3 months. Constant shuddering in reverse.

Speedometer failed at 68,900km. Never got it fixed - 'no parts'. Had to guess my speed all the time!

Horn button got stuck.

90,000Km:

Radiator fan stopped, overheating the engine again! This time, $1500 to do the gasket and flush the radiator.

Finally, driver's seat belt came undone while driving.

Got worse and worse, until it wouldn't buckle at all!

When I bought my Neon, it was 3 years old, with 2 months still left on the New Car Warranty. I chose a Neon, because my young family and I were amazed at the roomy interior. My wife loved the cute looks of it, and I had grown up with American cars, so I wanted a Chrysler of my own.

Needless to say, it was a big mistake!

The car was okay until the warranty ran out. Then it just started falling apart. Looking through my receipts, I have spent over AU$4900 just keeping the stupid thing on the road!

The interior was the best part! Plastics could be of a higher quality, but it's airy, well designed, and parking visibility is excellent! Luggage boot is massive for a little car and the air con is very cold.

The horrid vehicle now sits on my lawn, with weeds growing under it. I now have an ex-lease Camry Altise, and I plan to dismantle the Neon and sell the parts.

GOOD RIDDANCE!

Where to begin.. this car has been a nightmare from day one.

Brake pads and rotors replaced ($750)

Rear struts replaced ($600)

Oil leak from a burst seal ($800)

Thermostat replaced twice in six months ($500)

Been through two brand new batteries ($200)

Fuel pump died in the middle of the busiest downtown intersection, causing someone to rear end me. ($1000)

I can't even begin to express what a total piece of crap this car is. It was okay for the first 8 months or so that I had it, but since then it's like something major happens, I fix it thinking surely that'll buy me more time until I can save $ for a better car, and then within a couple weeks something else huge bites the dust on it.

In the last six months I've been broken down on the side of the road five times, had to pay for a tow truck each of those times (at $60 a pop) and sunk over $4000 into it. Every time I dare to take it anywhere it either doesn't start, overheats after a few minutes, or brakes down at the worst possible moment. What a nightmare.

Even though I've sunk that much into it, there's still a huge list of stuff wrong that I'm refusing to fix. For example...

-the horn mysteriously stopped working.

-none of the windows seal, and water and wind get in. Not to mention, the manual window crank broke off in my hand when I tried to close the window--so now the drivers window doesn't open at all... which is really inconvenient, not to mention embarrassing.

-there's still a major oil leak, I'm going through about one bottle every three or four days.

-sometimes the headlights come on by themselves and won't shut off even when the car is turned off.

-the trunk lock is broken, so it can only be opened from the inside.. not that I would use it anyway, the trunk leaks and it's a disgusting wet mildewy mess.

-There's a hole in the gas tank the size of a quarter, so I can't fill it up more than halfway or gas spills out.

-the air conditioning never did work, and the mechanic said it would be like $800 because it needs a whole rebuild.

-steering wheel makes a load clicking noise when you turn.

-the cloth interior on the roof of the car is coming away at the edges and falling off, plus the weatherstripping at all 4 windows is bubbling and very warped.

-the plastic panel that displays the gears on the gear shift is falling apart and I have to guess what gear its in...

Anyway, there's tons more wrong with this car, but I realize that I'm writing way too long a post here, so I'll just say NEVER NEVER BUY A NEON.. no matter how much of a deal you think it is or how broke you are.. this car will suck you dry and then some.

I finally decided that I'd had enough of it last week, parked the car on the street, and bought a 2000 Honda Civic.

I should have done that a LONG time ago.